


The Examination

by ConceptaDecency



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Babel Trek Open Project (Star Trek), M/M, Post-Canon Cardassia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22611766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConceptaDecency/pseuds/ConceptaDecency
Summary: Julian's got to deal with some difficult people in his job.Written for the Babel Trek Open Project.
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 28
Kudos: 216
Collections: The Babel Trek Open Project





	The Examination

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [Aidaran](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aidaran/pseuds/Aidaran/works) and [StarTravel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarTravel/pseuds/StarTravel/works) for the betaing!

“Doctor, if you think I’ll be satisfied with anything but the very best medical care for my daughter, you have no idea who you’re dealing with. And I’m certain you would not like to get to know me better.” Garak’s eyes were steely and he loomed threateningly over the table to make his point.

Julian swallowed. He’d been surprised by Garak’s forcefulness but he suppressed the reflex to lean his head back in response. Though Garak’s face was scarcely ten centimetres from his, Julian sat stock still, spine rigid, breathing evenly through his nose, and appraised the man across from him cooly and professionally.

This was the tricky part. Before him was an angry Cardassian. Not flirtatious, come-hither angry. Genuinely enraged. It wouldn’t do to provoke him further by accidentally coming on to him. And anything perceived as arguing back or annoyance would do exactly this.

“I assure you, Mr Garak, your daughter will receive the best care possible right here at the clinic.” Steady, even tone. Professional, if not friendly. No trace of the ire that in truth was bubbling up in Julian's chest. “Swimmer’s scale is…”

“Doctor, don’t condescend to me. I’m not a fool. You’ve already tried to tell me twice that swimmer’s scale is not a serious condition and repeating it a third time will not induce me to change my mind. I demand my daughter see a squamologist right away. Someone who knows what she's doing.”

Deep breath. Professional. And yet not too agreeable. That would be seen as weak. “Mr Garak, it’s only natural you’d be concerned for your child, but —”

“My _only_ child, Doctor!” Garak stood, abruptly, and his face, radiating pure menace now, was nose to nose with Julian’s. “It’s an absolute disgrace that she has to be treated by a _Federation_ doctor. What would your kind know about children’s scales? Aren’t there any Cardassian doctors working here?”

“Okay, Elim, just stop,” Julian’s professionalism evaporated and his words seethed irritation. He frowned. 

“Is anything the matter, my dear?” By contrast, Garak’s face had transformed into mild surprise, his eye ridges high and his mouth a demure ‘o’. The taut danger of his stance was gone and he sat back, urbane and unthreatening, but infuriating, of course, in his chair. 

“I’m sure the oral exam won’t descend into racial abuse! Honestly, Elim!” Julian took a deep breath and reminded himself that Garak was doing him a favour. “I do appreciate your helping me prepare for the role-play exam,” he said more evenly, “but what was _that_ about?”

When the off-worlders had first come to help, Cardassia had been utterly devastated and desperate and willing to accept any aid offered. But now, after nearly a decade of rebuilding, long-neglected processes were beginning to be put into place. Off-world medical professionals were now once again required to pass a Kardasi language exam, one component of which was a series of doctor-patient, or in this case, doctor-guardian, role-plays. It was (hopefully) a mere formality in Julian’s case — years of practice with Garak even before the move to Cardassia, then eight years working almost exclusively in Kardasi due to the unreliability of Universal Translators, had seen to that. 

“What was _what_ about?" Garak's attempt at innocent obliviousness was futile. And they both knew it. All Julian had to do was give him a look.

"Julian." Garak was suddenly all pragmatic. "The examiner’s instructions say the patient’s parent is to insist their daughter see a specialist.” Garak passed his PADD to Julian for inspection.

“Yes, they do.” Julian glanced over the contents, a past exam that Doctor Parmak had managed to acquire for Julian’s study. “It also says the parent is to acquiesce to treatment in the clinic after the doctor explains that swimmer’s scale is a minor ailment. Which I did, twice.”

“And I was just about to acquiesce! If you’d let me continue you would have seen that. I didn’t deviate from the instructions once.”

“Okay, so you were going to acquiesce. You followed the letter of the instructions, but not the spirit. You didn’t have to threaten me. Or racially abuse me. Where did that come from?”

“Believe me, Julian, I only did what was necessary. I didn’t _want_ to be so harsh! It hurt me as much as it hurt you, I dare say. Maybe more.”

That might be true, actually. Though Julian had been taken aback, he knew Garak had been acting. They’d stung, but the words hadn’t really been hurtful. Just...annoying? Unproductive? Misplaced? 

“Well, you didn’t have to go through all that pain and suffering for me. It was completely unnecessary. Nobody’s going to get that dramatic in the exam.” 

“Are you certain? I’d hate to think you weren’t prepared for the worst. Cardassians can be very difficult patients.” 

“Elim. I’ve been practicing medicine on Cardassia for more than eight years. I think I know better than you do what _most_ Cardassian patients are like.” Julian’s ‘most’ was vinegary. He meant it to smart. 

Garak looked sceptical. 

How very dare he? Julian doubled down. 

“When I first came to Cardassia I was pleasantly surprised to learn that _most_ Cardassians are very reasonable people. Strangely enough, though, my very first Cardassian patient proved to be quite an anomaly. Have I ever told you about him? He’d argue every little thing, downplay anything serious, but heaven forbid he had a little scratch or a cough. Then it was a storm in a teacup.”

“He sounds utterly charming. What a shame we never met.” A smile played at the corners of Garak’s mouth. 

“Yes, it’s too bad, isn’t it?” Julian couldn’t help but grin back. “But maybe just as well for me. I don’t know if I could have handled two of you.”

“Two of us? What are you saying, Julian? I‘m nothing like how you describe this person. I’m a very reasonable patient. I’d never interrupt your work day for a minor scratch.” He looked around, as if they weren’t alone in their own small sitting room, and leaned forward conspiratorially. “I hate to be the one to tell you, but I think your Cardassian friend may have had ulterior motives.” 

“Oh, I’ve no doubt he had,” Julian leaned over the table, mirroring Garak’s posture and tone of voice. “Just another inscrutable Cardassian, after all. I’ve never met one who _didn’t_ have ulterior motives.”

The smile he’d been trying to conceal spread across Garak’s face. “I see you understand us better than I thought, Julian. Perhaps you _will_ pass this exam after all.” 

Julian rolled his eyes. “Yes, I think I might just have a shot.” He sat back and folded his hands. “So, any feedback?”

“My dear, your verbal language as always is impeccable, your pronunciation as good as can be managed by your species, and you were very reassuring and professional. But your body language," Garak tsked and shook his head, both actions he'd picked up from his time around humans, "could use some work, I'm afraid. The next time you have to deal with an irate Cardassian, don't do that thing with your eyes."

"What thing with my eyes?" Damn, had he been doing the thing with his eyes again? 

"You know very well what thing with your eyes."

Julian knew very well what thing with his eyes, but he wasn't about to give Garak the satisfaction. "I can't see my own eyes, Elim," he said.

"You've been raising your eye ridges —"

"Eyebrows."

" — eyebrows — most aggravatingly. Almost as if you wanted to goad our good 'Mr Garak' into an argument. It's extremely provocative, Julian."

"Oh, is it?" Julian raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps it's just _you_ who finds it so provocative, Elim, and not our upstanding 'Mr Garak'."

"Pshaw. We'll video the next practice exam," said Garak decisively, "and I'll show you. What you're doing is enough to drive any Cardassian into a fit of passion." 

"Fine." A yawn broke Julian's faux solemnity. "But let's do it tomorrow, shall we? I'm shattered. Bed?"

Garak raised his eye ridges.

**Author's Note:**

> As one of the organisers of the Babel Trek Open Project, posting this fic on the last day, I'd like to thank everyone who participated. It's been a great success. I knew the Trek community would come up with some creative ideas, but the response has been overwhelming!


End file.
